Video games, pen&paper RPGs and other nerdery

Review: Saga, Volume 1

I haven’t read any serious comics since I went crazy for Marvel comics about 10 years ago, around the release of X-Men. This one came highly recommended and so I picked up a copy at Forbidden Planet in London. I am glad I did, because it’s a lovely story.

Alana and Marko are star-crossed lovers who ought to be enemies. Soldiers in the war between their people, they eloped, got married, and have a baby, Hazel, who kinda is our narrator, which suggests a rather epic scope for the series. The union between those enemies is forbidden, and it automatically makes them targets of just about everyone in the galaxy. Multiple assassins are hired, including the very moody The Will and his cat, Lying Cat, plus his ex-lover and all around creep The Stalk. Also on their heels is Prince Robot IV, a robot with a monitor as head. There are teenage ghosts, forests that grow rocketships, magical swords, and a planet dedicated to sex and hookers in various forms. Needless to say, the comic is quite graphical and mature in parts. It’s a wild mix of Firefly and fantasy, science fiction with a heavy dose of fantasy.

It’s also wonderfully funny at times, especially the banter between Alana and Marko. Alana is a kickass character.

I am totally looking forward to buying every single issue of this comic now, and was very delighted to see I can buy the digital versions on the website.